Startup Weekend, the intensive 54-hour program for launching a startup, today announced NEXT, a four-week pre-accelerator program that will come to 25 cities on November 28.
With the help of customer development expert Steve Blank, LaunchPad Central, and Udacity, NEXT is targeting startups who have gone through Startup Weekend and want to pursue their ideas further. “We’re constantly asked ‘what’s next’ by our participating entrepreneurs,” says Startup Weekend cofounder and CEO Marc Nager.
The program is based on Blank’s Lean LaunchPad course at Stanford University. Startups start with a business model canvas, then go out and talk to customers to improve their product and marketing. They will be coached by mentors from Startup Weekend, Startup America, and TechStars.
NEXT could run over 200 programs in 2013, with the long-term goal of educating 30,000 entrepreneurs. The program costs around $300, and participants should expect to spend at least 15-20 hours per week on it. Apply to attend or to host.
